Revealing The Meaning of Plant Lexicons in Sundanese Proverbs

Abstract

Plant lexicons in Sundanese proverbs have symbolized the ethnic group's identity since they have existed in the Sundanese natural environment, and represented Sundanese worldview. The objectives of the research were to discover the plant lexicons in Sundanese proverbs, their use, and their representation of human beings in the Sundanese ethnic community. The study employed eco-linguistic and cognitive semantic theory. In this qualitative research, a textual technique (literary study) was employed to collect data from nativized source books. The data was also obtained from two informants as Sundanese natives, which revealed that there were 82 plant lexicons in Sundanese proverbs in form of phrases and sentences in Sundanese proverbs. In Sundanese ethnic community, plant lexicons were utilized for medicinal purposes, textiles, construction materials, edible plants, and houseplants. Relating to their meaning, the plant lexicons of Sundanese proverb represented the human personality, human behavior, human physical characteristics, human conditions, humans as economic beings, and human as social beings. The results are beneficial for further research as it highlights readers about the impact of globalization on the usage of plant lexicon of Sundanese proverb and to know whether the young generation were still familiar with these proverbs. Besides, the findings of this research would also contribute to preservation of Sundanese proverbs as identity and cultural heritage of Sundanese.